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7.5 Writing Discussion Essays in Part Two

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7.5 Writing Discussion Essays in Part Two

• You will see a statement about a debate that people have regarding modern life

• You will be asked to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of an idea, or to evaluate two opposite opinions before giving your own opinion

• Divide the essay into an introduction, 2 main body sections and a conclusion

Introduction

• Explain to the reader what the issue is, and / or what the two sides to the debate are. Don’t copy words from the question: try to paraphrase.

• Explain to the reader how you will discuss the topic: what the body section will include.

• In this case, that means a discussion of either advantages and disadvantages of one idea, or discussion of two opposite points of view


Body Section

• The original question asked you about advantages or disadvantages, or it asked you about the two points of view. In any case, these are the basic plans for your body section paragraphs.

• In one paragraph talk about the advantages, or one of the two points of view. Give examples.

• In a new paragraph, discuss the disadvantages, or the other of the two points of view. Give examples here too.

• Make sure it is clear to the reader what work each paragraph is doing – use phrases like “on the other hand” to show you are considering a different issue.

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Conclusion

• You need to remind the reader of what the question was, and what you conclude about the problem – do the advantages outweight the disadvantages? Which side of the debate is stronger in your opinion? Why?

• Try not to repeat too much vocabulary, if you can help it.


Worked Example


Write about the following topic:

Some people believe that the media, such as the press, TV and Internet should be more strictly controlled. Others feel that controls should be loosened to give people freer access to information. Which opinion do you agree with?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Worked Example



One side – free speech, individual freedom, not the government’s job. Maybe advice only, like film ratings

Other side – don’t let bad ideas corrupt and influence young people

My opinion – can’t trust governments to have this power. Let good ideas spread

Worked Example - Introduction



The question of censorship in the media is a difficult one, and different governments and administrations have tried a variety of methods of controlling or not controlling what is free to be said or heard online or on TV.

Worked Example – Main Body 1



There are those who say that the most fundamental and important question is that of freedom of speech and expression. It is not the government’s job, they argue, to decide what people can or cannot say or know. Films or TV programmes could, perhaps, be rated to inform people of what kind of things (for example, violence, bad language, religiously offensive material) they may see. But, in the end, it is the choice of each individual whether he or she wants to be exposed to the material. Of course, this means that people will sometimes see things that they wish they had not seen, or think that others should not see.

Worked Example – Main Body 2



On the other hand, some people believe that such a liberal attitude creates the dangers of spreading misinformation or immorality through the population if it is not regulated. In many countries it is against the law to make allegations about another person that cannot be proven, in others it is forbidden to show information that might cause people to be critical of the government and its ruling ideology, the better to ensure calm and harmony within society. Opponents of this view say that a corrupt government should not be trusted to make this decision.

Worked Example – Conclusion



Fundamentally, I do not think people should trust governments to decide what is in the people’s interests. They will often be right, perhaps, but not always, and censorship can have a chilling effect on the spread of good ideas.

Extra Practice

• Go to The English Site website to find another table writing practice exercise

• Look at some student answers to the exercise and read my comments on these answers


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